


Unity

by HiddenDirector



Series: Not Alone - a Craig and Tweek anthology [2]
Category: South Park
Genre: And calling out micro-aggressions, And trying to exploit his fake anxiety, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Eric Cartman Being Eric Cartman, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Language, M/M, PC Principal being PC Principal, Post-Episode: s22e08 Buddha Box, like a lot of swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:41:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27505513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenDirector/pseuds/HiddenDirector
Summary: SET AFTER MY FANFIC "ALONE"Tweek isn't alone anymore now that they got rid of that damn box. But they're not going to make it with just the two of them, either. They might have more allies than they thought, though.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Series: Not Alone - a Craig and Tweek anthology [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2010205
Comments: 1
Kudos: 36





	Unity

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is set after my other fanfic, "Alone." Please read that one first.
> 
> I wrote this two years after that when I was rereading it and realized that I never included consequences for Cartman.
> 
> Warning: This fanfic contains depictions of Tweek having actual anxiety, panic attacks, Cartman exploiting his fake anxiety, PC Principal being PC Principal and calling out micro-aggressions, a lot of swearing, and someone getting punched in the face.

After recovering from his delusional and insistent use of the Buddha Box, leaving his house was a trip for Craig. There were still people walking around with the stupid things on their heads, causing him to roll his eyes and just keep his head down as he walked to school.

Usually, Craig would take the bus, but not this time. He was avoiding Cartman. Repressing the overwhelming urge to beat the shit out of the asshole that convinced him to put the box on his head in the first place. God, he still felt like an idiot for that. For letting something so… ridiculous and insignificant get between him and Tweek.

That was why he couldn’t beat Cartman up, as much as he’d love to, though. Tweek asked him not to do it.

 _“I’d love to see it, too, Craig,”_ Tweek had said while sweeping up the mess of cardboard and circuitry in the backyard. _“But you’re just going to get in trouble if you do it. I don’t want you to get into trouble. What if you don’t even get detention, you just get suspended? Or expelled? What if you have to go to another school where I can’t see you every day anymore? What if… what if you’d have to move somewhere else?”_

Craig had put a hand on his shoulder while Tweek started to freak out, reassuring him that if someone beating the shit out of Cartman resulted in expulsion, then half the student body would be moving to other schools. Wendy and Kyle came to the forefront of his mind. Both had given Cartman more than one epic beating. Still, if it worried him that much, then Craig would refrain.

Sure, it meant Craig had to leave early for school to avoid Cartman on the bus. All he had to do was keep himself away from the fat-ass for the day. Sure, they were in the same class, but Craig could hold himself back as long as they stayed in their own seats.

What a bunch of tools this town was, though, that there were still people who hadn’t awoken from the fever dream of the Buddha Box. Maybe that made Craig a hypocrite, considering he’d just been pulled from it the previous day. He didn’t care. People had to earn respect from a Tucker, and until they did, everyone started on the same level of dumbass.

“Craig!”

The boy looked up at the sound as soon as he pushed the door to the school open. Tweek stood up from where he was sitting on the stairs across from the entrance. “Hey, honey,” Craig greeted, walking over and holding out his hand.

Without even a moment of hesitation, Tweek took it. It was always strangely heartwarming to experience that level of trust. “I was starting to think something happened to you on the way here,” the blond admitted. “I got so worried when you actually didn’t get on the bus. I mean, there’s so much that can happen between your house and here. All kinds of people who could take advantage of a kid all alone out there.”

Craig didn’t roll his eyes, though he had the urge at first. The last part made his heart clench, though. He knew Tweek was thinking of his brush with a near abduction. It felt like forever ago, but he would probably never be completely over it. “Don’t worry about me, Tweek,” he said encouragingly instead. “I can handle myself.”

“I know,” Tweek said, managing a smile. “You know I just-”

“Worry, I know,” Craig sighed. “Come on, we’re going to be late for class.”

Tweek nodded, keeping a tight grip on Craig’s hand as they walked down the hall. They made light chatter over the ambient sounds of other kids talking in the hall. It was always nice to see Tweek relax as they spoke, fingers relaxing but not releasing their hold on Craig’s. It took a lot of effort to stabilize the neurotic boy’s chaotic thoughts, but it was worth it to see him actually look happy.

They stopped by Tweek’s locker first, letting him grab what he needed before moving down to Craig’s.

“By the way, it’s your turn with Stripe this week,” Craig reminded Tweek as he rifled around his stuff. “You want me to bring him by after school?”

“Oh, yeah!” Tweek said in surprise. He’d obviously forgotten about it. Ever since they decided to share custody of Stripe #4, since Tweek bought him as a present for Craig, they exchanged him between houses. Craig knew having something to care for at home sometimes helped keep Tweek grounded. “I got a new cage for him since his current one’s wheel is extra squea-”

Tweek yelped, cut off as Craig was knocked into his locker by a passing Cartman. The large kid had his box on his head, head down with his phone under it.

“Oh my god, fat-ass!” Kyle said in exasperation, grabbing the box Cartman was wearing and ripping it off. “Just take it off for three minutes; you’re running into people!”

Cartman threw a punch with the hand holding his phone, grabbing for the box. “Give it back, Jew!” he snapped.

Kyle ducked under it and rounded around Stan, holding it behind his back. “You can have it back when you’re ready to get your head out of your stupid phone!” he snapped, glaring.

“This is ableism!” Cartman yelled, pointing at Kyle as kids turned to look. “He’s discriminating against my anxiety by depriving me of my therapy device!”

Craig pushed himself off of his locker, turning and glaring at Cartman. His fists clenched, eye twitching. So much for avoiding Cartman for the day. He took a step towards the asshole, ready to give him something to cry to the teachers about. He stopped when Tweek’s hand caught his arm, though.

Craig looked back at his boyfriend in annoyance. Tweek looked nervous; likely from all of the commotion Cartman was drawing this way. Still, he shook his head quickly. “Don’t, Craig…” he pled.

The black-haired boy stared at him a moment before sighing. He stepped back again, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Cartman again.

Tweek relaxed, though he turned to watch the commotion as well. He probably didn’t want to move while it was going on, afraid that it would draw attention to himself.

“You don’t have anxiety!” Kyle insisted, taking several steps backward as Cartman advanced on him. Stan stepped out of the way, obviously not wanting to get involved in this. Kenny just stood to the side, watching silently as he usually did when this kind of stuff happened between the two. He looked more amused than anything.

“I do, too! My psychiatrist says and everything!” Cartman snapped, swiping for the box again.

“Your psychiatrist is a freaking fraud, you dumbass!” Kyle shouted, throwing the box over Cartman’s head to Stan.

When Cartman rounded on him, shoving Kyle back against the lockers first for good measure, Stan looked panicked. “Oh, _hell_ , no!” he yelled, throwing the box to Kenny. “I’m not getting my ass kicked over this!”

Cartman’s eyes watched the box like a cat watching a laser pointer. When it landed in the hooded boy’s hands, he pounced. Well, more like he charged.

“Oh, shit!” Kenny muffled out, throwing the box into the air. It was too late, though, as he was bowled over onto the floor. He groaned as the huge fourth-grader sat on him, watching the Buddha Box arc across the hall.

The box landed almost perfectly in Craig’s hands, where he hadn’t even moved. Everyone’s eyes turned to him now as he held it, still looking evenly at Cartman. He could feel Tweek’s hand tremble on his arm, and that was all of the encouragement he needed. Craig dropped the box on the floor and lifted his foot over it, never taking his eyes off of the fat-ass across the hall from him.

“Don’t you fucking dare, Craig!” Cartman warned as he pushed himself off of Kenny’s prone, probably very sore form. He turned to fully face Craig as his eyes flicked from the serious boy’s face to his foot and back. “I will kick your ass all over this hall if you-”

Craig didn’t need to hear more. He flipped Cartman off and brought his foot down on the box. The sound of the cardboard and machinery crunching under it echoed down the hallway in the silence that followed.

It wasn’t quiet for much longer as Cartman let out an angry, boar-like squeal and charged.

Craig was ready for him, though. He braced himself as the huge kid pulled his arms in and practically became a living battering ram. He was prepared for the force of the impact, which would give him ample excuse to beat the shit out of Cartman. It was self-defense. No one could fault him.

Except the impact didn’t happen. Because when Cartman was a foot away from him, something unexpected happened. Tweek pulled Craig backward, jumping in front of him. And then Cartman was stopped short, stumbling back with a surprised cry as Tweek’s fist impacted his face. Craig, along with every kid, stared in shock at the sight of the neurotic blond as he stood his ground. Even Cartman seemed perplexed by the sight of him standing there, fist still raised up in front of him.

“Stay the hell away from my boyfriend!” Tweek finally broke the silence by shouting. The shaking in his voice was covered by how powerfully the demand had come out.

Cartman continued staring as he raised a hand to his face and touched the welting bruise forming on it. A trickle of blood leaked from his mouth, suggesting Tweek got at least a tooth out of that as well. His face then scrunched up with rage. “You’re going to pay for that…” he hissed.

“I… I…” Tweek stuttered for a moment, and then hunkered down, resolve strengthening. “I don’t care! I’m not going to let you touch Craig!”

Before anyone could respond to the declaration, including the still stunned Craig, there was a shout across the hall. “What the hell is going on around here?!”

The students parted like the Red Sea as PC Principal stormed down it. Vice Principal Strong Woman followed behind him.

As soon as he saw them, Cartman looked to Tweek and Craig, giving them a devious smile. He then screwed his face up, letting out a wail. “PC Principal! Thank goodness you’re here!” he shrieked, pointing at the boyfriends. “These two ganged up on me because I have a-a-anxietyyyyyy! Craig broke my therapy device, and then Tweek tried to beat me uuuuuup!”

PC Principal turned his glare on Tweek and Craig, looking down at the smashed box.

“Is that true?” Strong Woman demanded to the children watching.

“Uh… I didn’t see…”

“Yeah, I wasn’t paying attention…”

“I was just trying to get to class…”

The majority of the kids all started scattering, making themselves scarce as they ran for their classrooms. Craig couldn’t blame them for not wanting to get involved and take sides. Still, at least a few of them could show some damn loyalty.

“What do you have to say for yourselves, boys?” PC Principal demanded of Craig and Tweek.

“I… I… I….” all of the fight seemed to drain from Tweek in the face of their intimidating principal and vice-principal. Craig reached out and pulled Tweek into his arms, not saying anything. He knew that there was nothing they could say that Cartman wouldn’t manipulate into his benefit without backup. Well, to be fair, Cartman was only _half_ -lying. But that only worked to his advantage.

“We should continue this in the principal’s-”

“Cartman is lying!”

Strong Woman closed her mouth at Stan’s outburst, all eyes remaining in the hall turning to him.

The fourth-grader swallowed but then reinforced his claim. “We were playing with the box, and we dropped it on accident,” Stan elaborated. “Craig stepped on it by accident!”

“Yeah, it wasn’t his fault!” Kenny spoke up, pushing himself off of the floor and brushing himself off. “Cartman knocked me over, and I dropped the box.”

“It slid over by Craig’s locker, and he stepped on it while he was getting his stuff,” Kyle said quickly, catching on. He looked over to Cartman, whose face went from fake-crying to surprised to pissed. He then looked back to the principals. “Cartman overreacted and charged him. Tweek was just defending his boyfriend.”

“Are they telling the truth?” PC Principal asked Cartman.

As soon as the adults’ eyes were back on him, Cartman screwed his face back up again. “No! They’re all lying to protect Tweek and Craig! I mean, they were playing with it, but because they were stealing it from me!” he wailed.

Okay, that was true. It made it harder for them to turn the principals to their side.

“That’s not true,” Wendy suddenly spoke up. She had been standing down the hall with some of the other girls from the classes. “Cartman let them play with it. We watched the whole thing. Right, girls?”

Bebe, Red, and the other girls quickly started nodding, yelling confirmations.

“I saw Craig step on the box,” Token said, walking up with Clyde and Jimmy. “It was definitely an accident. He was just stepping away from his locker when it slid in front of his feet.”

“And to be honest, Cartman p-practically ran into Tweek’s f-f-f-f-fist,” Jimmy added. “He had more than enough t-time to st-st-stop.”

PC Principal and Strong Woman looked at each other. They then looked back to Cartman.

“Maybe it’s time you come and have a talk in my office,” PC Principal said, jerking his head back towards the staff offices. “I’ll call your mom, and you can explain to both of us why you’re targeting the gay kids to get in trouble.”

“What?!” Cartman yelped, looking disbelieving. “You can’t believe them all over me! I have anxiety, and they’re discriminating against me!”

“Were Wendy, Token, and Jimmy involved in the incident?” Strong Woman asked, crossing her arms over her chest challengingly.

“No…” Cartman admitted. “But-!”

“No buts!” PC Principal snapped. “If they weren’t involved, they have no reason to lie! Unless you’re saying that women, African Americans, and disabled people are more likely to lie and instigate?”

Cartman stared at him silently. They knew there was nothing he could say at this point that PC Principal wouldn’t take as a micro-aggression against an oppressed group. For once, political correctness was going to be his downfall. He couldn’t use it as a weapon at this moment.

“That’s what I thought,” PC Principal said evenly, pointing down the hall this time. “My office! Now!”

Cartman cast one more hateful glare around everyone involved before turning and marching down the way the principal was pointing, PC Principal following.

Craig let out a breath of relief when Cartman disappeared down the hall, leaning his head back against the lockers. That was a close one. Thank Christ, not everyone in the school was complete assholes. His reverie was interrupted, though, when Tweek let out a sobbing sound. He looked down at the blond in his arms, raising a hand to run his fingers through wild hair. “Hey, it’s okay… sssshhh…” he whispered to the shaking boy.

“It looks like he’s having a panic attack,” Strong Woman said, kneeling down next to them. She put a hand on Tweek’s back. When he flinched, though, she quickly withdrew. “Craig, take him somewhere quiet to calm himself down. I’ll tell your teachers you won’t be joining class for a while.”

“Thanks, vice-principal,” Craig nodded to her.

Strong Woman smiled, standing back up and looking around at the gathered kids. “Alright, everyone get to class. You’re all officially late. I’ll tell the teachers it was for important matters, though.”

“Thank you, Vice Principal Strong Woman,” the kids chorused as she turned towards the class halls.

“You gonna be alright?” Token asked, putting a hand on Craig’s shoulder.

“Yeah, thanks, guys,” the boy nodded gratefully. “I thought we were in major trouble for a minute there.”

“W-we’ve got your b-b-b-back,” Jimmy assured him, turning and heading down the hall towards the class.

“What he said,” Token winked, patting Craig on the shoulder before following. “Take care of your boy.”

“We’re not letting assholes like Cartman have his way,” Wendy said haughtily as she passed as well with her friends. “Don’t worry, Craig. No matter what bullshit excuse he comes up with, we’re not letting him get away with everything he’s caused.” They disappeared as well, waving at him.

Craig took a deep breath, looking at Kyle, Stan, and Kenny. “Thanks to you guys, too.”

“No problem,” Stan smiled, shrugging. “Still, took a lot of balls to break that box like that.”

“Yeah, even I wasn’t that brave,” Kyle admitted. “And there’s a _lot_ of things I’ll do to get back at him for his shitty behavior.”

“Go calm him down,” Kenny said, pointing the opposite direction of the classrooms. “We’ll let you know how things go with Cartman.”

“Right,” Craig looked back down at Tweek and then back up at them. “You guys aren’t complete tools.” It was the closest thing to a compliment he could manage, really.

“Thanks, I guess?” Stan said in amusement. He nodded down the hall. “Come on, guys, before we get in trouble for taking advantage.”

“Right. See you later, Craig,” Kyle said, waving to the pair. “Feel better, Tweek.”

Craig watched them leave, then patted Tweek on the head. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go get you calmed down.”

()()()()()()

Tweek barely registered what was happening as he was led outside and sat down on a bench in the back of the school. He was taking deep, gulping breaths. It interspersed with sobs as he tried to calm himself down. His entire body shook as he tried not to let his thoughts overwhelm him.

He couldn’t help it. God, he was so petrified when he finally snapped out of his anger. Afraid of what was going to happen to him since he did the very thing that he’d begged Craig not to do.

Oh, but when Cartman was charging Craig… Tweek just saw _red_. His body had moved almost of its own accord, every nerve in it saying he had to protect his boyfriend. He couldn’t even believe that Craig had crushed the box, had instigated such a reaction on purpose. But then again… he supposed it wasn’t _that_ surprising. Despite his calm demeanor, Craig could be hotheaded when something struck close to home.

Still, the entire thing had made Tweek feel like he wanted to crawl into one of the lockers and not come back out. From the moment Cartman hit Craig and Kyle took his box, drawing attention from everyone. Tweek hated being the center of attention unless it was on purpose. It had to be planned and executed on his own time, like when he and Craig fake-broke up or their performance of Put It Down. When everyone was staring their way, it made Tweek feel small.

He felt so small, so helpless as everyone was looking at them. Even when they weren’t looking at _him_ specifically, instead looking at people nearby. It still unnerved him, especially when he and Craig had just solved their last crisis. He didn’t want to be dragged into another one already.

Why couldn’t their lives just be calm and normal for a day? Why couldn’t things just be quiet and normal for them? Why couldn’t _South Park_ be quiet and normal for once? Were they cursed? Was this some kind of punishment for some crime they didn’t even know they committed? Were they just destined to never have nice, calm, ordinary lives?

“Hey, you doing okay?”

Tweek looked up at the sound of Craig’s voice, at his boyfriend next to him on the bench. Craig was sitting, waiting patiently with him. Always patient, always calm. Tweek stared a moment before letting out a strangled cry, launching himself forward and wrapping his arms around Craig’s neck. He ended up sitting in the other boy’s lap, face buried in his shoulder. He cried and shook as Craig shushed and hugged him, petting his hair.

“You should’ve let me beat the shit out of him,” Craig said with a touch of humor.

“He was g-going to hit you f-first…” Tweek managed through his shaking sobs. “I couldn’t let him do it… n-no one is allowed to hu-hurt you…”

“What if you’d gotten hurt instead?” Craig asked absently. “What if you timed it wrong, and he tackled you?”

The words eased some of Tweek’s panic just from the warmth of the worry there. That Craig cared that much about him. It was soothing, bringing him down to Earth again. “You’re more important,” he still insisted. Because it was true. Craig was far more important than him. People relied on him. No one counted on Tweek. Why would they?

“That’s not true,” Craig scolded, pulling Tweek back enough to look at him. Despite his perpetually serious face, there was a softness there. One that only Tweek knew to look for. “You’re the most important person in the world. Even if to no one else, you are to me. It would kill me if something bad happened to you. You need to let me protect you.”

Tweek stared at him before a smile spread across his face. It mirrored the warmth that spread across his chest, starting from his heart. “Only if you let me protect you, too,” he insisted.

Craig opened his mouth, looking ready to argue. But he must’ve seen the determination in Tweek’s face because he instead sighed. “Alright. Deal. We’ll look out for each other,” he said. “We’ll start with the fact that Cartman is going to be coming up with all kinds of bullshit to try and get out of trouble with PC Principal and Vice Principal Strong Woman. Luckily, I don’t think we need to do this one alone.”

Tweek tilted his head to the side, not understanding. It wasn’t that he didn’t have friends. Even if they weren’t always the most sensitive to his emotional state, he had plenty of people he’d call that. It was confusing that Craig even had to distinguish that. “Of course, we don’t have to do it alone,” he said. “Everyone hates Cartman. I don’t think there’s a single person in South Park outside of his mom that doesn’t want to see him go down.” He smiled again, trying his best to be encouraging in the face of everything that was happening.

Craig stared and then actually cracked a smile. He snorted before letting out a small laugh. Tweek blinked, not really getting what was funny. He was trying to be positive, which was really hard for him to do. “We came out here so I could calm _you_ down, and you’re trying to comfort _me_?” Craig elaborated as if he could detect the confusion.

“Well… you looked anxious; I didn’t like it,” Tweek said defensively. He didn’t like being laughed at for trying to do something nice for his boyfriend.

“I know, I know, sorry,” Craig let out another small laugh. He pulled Tweek in for another hug, burying his face in the wild blond hair there. “Now you know how I feel at all times.”

Tweek relaxed back into the embrace, closing his eyes. “Sorry I worry you so much,” he muttered.

“It’s okay. You can’t help it,” Craig said, rubbing circles on Tweek’s back soothingly. “That’s why you’ve got me, though.”

“Yeah,” Tweek said contentedly. “That’s why I have you. But we can’t do it with just the two of us. I need you, and you need me. But we need other people, too.”

Craig was quiet a moment, and Tweek was almost afraid he said something wrong. He was about to apologize when Craig said, “I know. We’ll gather our friends, I promise. We won’t face him alone.”

Tweek smiled again, snuggling in. He knew they’d have to go back to class eventually, but for now, he wanted to stay here where they could just be together for a while.

They’d worry about their allies later. All that mattered, for now, was knowing they were there.


End file.
